a smaller history of greece-第35部分

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That　a　reformer　and　destroyer；　like　Socrates；　of　ancient　prejudices　and　fallacies　which　passed　current　under　the　name　of　wisdom　should　have　raised　up　a　host　of　enemies　is　only　what　might　be　expected；　but　in　his　case　this　feeling　was　increased　by　the　manner　in　which　he　fulfilled　his　mission。　　The　oracle　of　Delphi；　in　response　to　a　question　put　by　his　friend　Chaerephon；　had　affirmed　that　no　man　was　wiser　than　Socrates。　　No　one　was　more　perplexed　at　this　declaration　than　Socrates　himself；　since　he　was　conscious　of　possessing　no　wisdom　at　all。　　However；　he　determined　to　test　the　accuracy　of　the　priestess；　for；　though　he　had　little　wisdom；　others　might　have　still　less。　　He　therefore　selected　an　eminent　politician　who　enjoyed　a　high　reputation　for　wisdom；　and　soon　elicited　by　his　scrutinising　method　of　cross…examination；　that　this　statesman's　reputed　wisdom　was　no　wisdom　at　all。　　But　of　this　he　could　not　convince　the　subject　of　his　examination；　whence　Socrates　concluded　that　he　was　wiser　than　this　politician；　inasmuch　as　he　was　conscious　of　his　own　ignorance；　and　therefore　exempt　from　the　error　of　believing　himself　wise　when　in　reality　he　was　not　so。　　The　same　experiment　was　tried　with　the　same　result　on　various　classes　of　men；　on　poets；　mechanics；　and　especially　on　the　rhetors　and　sophists；　the　chief　of　all　the　pretenders　to　wisdom。

The　first　indication　of　the　unpopularity　which　he　had　incurred　is　the　attack　made　upon　him　by　Aristophanes　in　the　'Clouds'　in　the　year　423　B。C。　　That　attack；　however；　seems　to　have　evaporated　with　the　laugh；　and　for　many　years　Socrates　continued　his　teaching　without　molestation。　　It　was　not　till　B。C。　399　that　the　indictment　was　preferred　against　him　which　cost　him　his　life。　　In　that　year；　Meletus；　a　leather…seller；　seconded　by　Anytus；　a　poet；　and　Lycon；　a　rhetor；　accused　him　of　impiety　in　not　worshipping　the　gods　of　the　city；　and　in　introducing　new　deities；　and　also　of　being　a　corrupter　of　youth。　　With　respect　to　the　latter　charge；　his　former　intimacy　with　Alcibiades　and　Critias　may　have；　weighed　against　him。　　Socrates　made　no　preparations　for　his　defence；　and　seems；　indeed；　not　to　have　desired　an　acquittal。　　But　although　he　addressed　the　dicasts　in　a　bold　uncompromising　tone；　he　was　condemned　only　by　a　small　majority　of　five　or　six　in　a　court　composed　of　between　five　and　six　hundred　dicasts。　　After　the　verdict　was　pronounced；　he　was　entitled；　according　to　the　practice　of　the　Athenian　courts；　to　make　some　counter…proposition　in　place　of　the　penalty　of　death；　which　the　accusers　had　demanded；　and　if　he　had　done　so　with　any　show　of　submission　it　is　probable　that　the　sentence　would　have　been　mitigated。　　But　his　tone　after　the　verdict　was　higher　than　before。　　Instead　of　a　fine；　he　asserted　that　he　ought　to　be　maintained　in　the　Prytaneum　at　the　public　expense；　as　a　public　benefactor。　　This　seems　to　have　enraged　the　dicasts　and　he　was　condemned　to　death。

It　happened　that　the　vessel　which　proceeded　to　Delos　on　the　annual　deputation　to　the　festival　had　sailed　the　day　before　his　condemnation；　and　during　its　absence　it　was　unlawful　to　put　any　one　to　death。　　Socrates　was　thus　kept　in　prison　during　thirty　days；　till　the　return　of　the　vessel。　　He　spent　the　interval　in　philosophical　conversations　with　his　friends。　　Crito；　one　of　these；　arranged　a　scheme　for　his　escape　by　bribing　the　gaoler；　but　Socrates；　as　might　be　expected　from　the　tone　of　his　defence；　resolutely　refused　to　save　his　life　by　a　breach　of　the　law。　　His　last　discourse；　on　the　day　of　his　death；　turned　on　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　　With　a　firm　and　cheerful　countenance　he　drank　the　cup　of　hemlock　amidst　his　sorrowing　and　weeping　friends。　　His　last　words　were　addressed　to　Crito：〃Crito；　we　owe　a　cock　to　AEsculapius；　discharge　the　debt；　and　by　no　means　omit　it。〃

Thus　perished　the　greatest　and　most　original　of　the　Grecian　philosophers；　whose　uninspired　wisdom　made　the　nearest　approach　to　the　divine　morality　of　the　Gospel。　　His　teaching　forms　an　epoch　in　the　history　of　philosophy。　　From　his　school　sprang　Plato；　the　founder　of　the　Academic　philosophy；　Euclides；　the　founder　of　the　Megaric　school；　Aristippus；　the　founder　of　the　Cyrenaic　school；　and　many　other　philosophers　of　eminence。



CHAPTER　XV。

THE　EXPEDITION　OF　THE　GREEKS　UNDER　CYRUS；　AND　RETREAT　OF　THE　TEN　THOUSAND；　B。C。　401…400。

The　assistance　which　Cyrus　had　rendered　to　the　Lacedaemonians　in　the　Peloponnesian　war　led　to　a　remarkable　episode　in　Grecian　history。　　This　was　the　celebrated　expedition　of　Cyrus　against　his　brother　Artaxerxes；　in　which　the　superiority　of　Grecian　to　Asiatic　soldiers　was　so　strikingly　shown。

The　death　of　Darius　Nothus；　king　of　Persia；　took　place　B。C。　404；　shortly　before　the　battle　of　AEgospotami。　　Cyrus；　who　was　present　at　his　father's　death；　was　charged　by　Tissaphernes　with　plotting　against　his　elder　brother　Artaxerxes；　who　succeeded　to　the　throne。　　The　accusation　was　believed　by　Artaxerxes；　who　seized　his　brother；　and　would　have　put　him　to　death；　but　for　the　intercession　of　their　mother；　Parysatis；　who　persuaded　him　not　only　to　spare　Cyrus　but　to　confirm　him　in　his　former　government。　Cyrus　returned　to　Sardis　burning　with　revenge；　and　fully　resolved　to　make　an　effort　to　dethrone　his　brother。

From　his　intercourse　with　the　Greeks　Cyrus　had　become　aware　of　their　superiority　to　the　Asiatics；　and　of　their　usefulness　in　such　an　enterprise　as　he　now　contemplated。　　The　peace　which　followed　the　capture　of　Athens　seemed　favourable　to　his　projects。　Many　Greeks；　bred　up　in　the　practice　of　war　during　the　long　struggle　between　that　city　and　Sparta；　were　now　deprived　of　their　employment；　whilst　many　more　had　been　driven　into　exile　by　the　establishment　of　the　Spartan　oligarchies　in　the　various　conquered　cities。　　Under　the　pretence　of　a　private　war　with　the　satrap；　Tissaphernes；　Cyrus　enlisted　large　numbers　of　them　in　his　service。　　The　Greek　in　whom　he　placed　most　confidence　was　Clearchus；　a　Lacedaemonian；　and　formerly　harmost　of　Byzantium；　who　had　been　condemned　to　death　by　the　Spartan　authorities　for　disobedience　to　their　orders。

It　was　not；　however；　till　the　beginning　of　the　year　B。C。　401　that　the　enterprise　of　Cyrus　was　ripe　for　execution。　　The　Greek　levies　were　then　withdrawn　from　the　various　towns　in　which　they　were　distributed；　and　concentrated　in　Sardis；　to　the　number　of　about　8000；　and　in　March　or　April　of　this　year　Cyrus　marched　from　Sardis　with　them；　and　with　an　army　of　100；000　Asiatics。　　The　object　of　the　expedition　was　proclaimed　to　be　an　attack　upon　the　mountain…freebooters　of　Pisidia；　its　real　destination　was　a　secret　to　every　one　except　Cyrus　himself　and　Clearchus。　　Among　the　Greek　soldiers　was　Xenophon；　an　Athenian　knight；　to　whom　we　owe　a　narrative　of　the　expedition。　　He　went　as　a　volunteer；　at　the　invitation　of　his　friend　Proxenus；　a　Boeotian；　and　one　of　the　generals　of　Cyrus。

The　march　of　Cyrus　was　directed　through　Lydia　and　Phrygia。　　after　passing　Colossae　he　arrived　at　Colaenae；　where　he　was　joined　by　more　Greek　troops；　the　number　of　whom　now　amounted　to　11；000　hoplites　and　2000　peltasts。　　The　line　of　march；　which　had　been　hitherto　straight　upon　Pisidia；　was　now　directed　northwards。　Cyrus　passed　in　succession　the　Phrygian　towns　of　Peltae；　Ceramon　Agora；　the　Plain　of　Cayster；　Thymbrium；　Tyriaeum；　and　Iconium；　the　last　city　in　Phrygia。　　Thence　he　proceeded　through　Lycaonia　to　Dana；　and　across　Mount　Taurus　into　Cilicia。

On　arriving　at　Tarsus；　a　city　on　the　coast　of　Cilicia；　the　Greeks　plainly　saw　that　they　had　been　deceived；　and　that　the　expedition　was　designed　against　the　Persian　king。　　Seized　with　alarm　at　the　prospect　of　so　long　a　march；　they　sent　a　deputation　to　Cyrus　to　ask　him　what　his　real　intentions　were。　　Cyrus　replied　that　his　design　was　to　march　against　his　enemy；　Abrocomas；　satrap　of　Syria；　who　was　encamped　on　the　banks　of　the　Euphrates。　　The　Greeks；　though　they　still　suspected　a　delusion；　contented　themselves　with　this　answer　in　the　face　of　their　present　difficulties；　especially　as　Cyrus　promised　to　raise　their　pay　from　one　Daric　to　one　Daric　and　a　half　a　month。　　The　whole　army　then　marched　forwards　to　Issus；　the　last　town　in　Cilicia；　seated　on　the　gulf　of　the　same　name。　　Here　they　met　the　fleet；　which　brought　them　a　reinforcement　of　1100　Greek　soldiers；　thus　raising　the　Grecian　force　to　about　14；000　men。

Abrocomas；　who　commanded　for　the　Great　King　in　Syria　and　Phoenicia；　alarmed　at　the　rapid　progress　of　Cyrus；　fled　before　him　with　all　his　army；　reported　as　300；000　strong；　abandoning　the　impregnable　pass　situated　one　day's　march　from　Issus；　and　known　as　the　Gates　of　Cilicia　and　Syria。　　Marching　in　safety　through　this　pass；　the　army　next　reached　Myriandrus；　a　seaport　of　Phoenicia。　　From　this　place　Cyrus　struck　off　into　the　interior；　over　Mount　Amanus。　　Twelve　days'　march　brought　him　to　Thapsacus　on　the　Euphrates；　where　for　the　first　time　he　formally　notified　to　the　army　that　he　was　marching　to　Babylon　against　his　brother　Artaxerxes；　The　water　happened　to　be　very　low；　scarcely　reaching　to　the　breast；　and　Abrocomas　made　no　attempt　to　dispute　the　passage。　　The　army　now　entered　upon　the　desert；　where　the　Greeks　were　struck　with　the　novel　sights　which　met　their　view；　and　at　once　amused　and　exhausted　themselves　in　the　chase　of　the　wild　ass　and